Azm Palace Information & Azm Palace Links at HealthHaven.com

Azm Palace
قصر العظم
Building
Alternate names	Qasr al-Azm
Type	Palace, Museum
Architectural style	Ottoman
Location	Damascus, Syria
Address	Al-Buzuriyah Souq
Client	As'ad Pasha al-'Azm
Construction
Completed	1750
Renovated	1945-1961
Floor count	2
Renovating team
Awards and prizes	Aga Khan Award for Architecture

This article is about the palace in Damascus. For the palace in Hama, Syria built by the same client, see Azm Palace (Hama).

Azem Palace (Arabic: قصر العظم‎) is a palace in Damascus, Syria which was originally built in 1750 as a residence for the Ottoman governor of Damascus As'ad Pasha al-Azm. The palace now houses the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions.

[edit] Architecture

Azem Palace architecture

The architecture is an excellent example of Damascene traditional houses. The structure itself consists of several buildings and two wings: the harem and the salamlik. The harem is the family wing, which is a private space for the residents (the Azm family originally). This wing includes the kitchen, servant quarters, and the baths, which are a replica of the public baths in the city but on a smaller scale. The salamlik is the guest wing, and it comprises the formal halls, reception areas and large courtyards with traditional cascading fountains.

Used in the building of this palace were several types of stones including limestone, sandstone, basalt, and marble. This provided for a natural decorative appearance of the structure. The ceilings have painted wooden panels that display natural scenes.

In 1925, the Azm palace was heavily damaged by French artillery during the Syrian revolution. It has since been restored and became a museum of arts and folk traditions. It received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1983.

[edit] See also

Khan As'ad Pasha

Coordinates: 33°30′37″N 36°18′25″E / 33.51028°N 36.30694°E / 33.51028; 36.30694

This article about a building or structure in Syria is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.